Chapter 9

There was that feeling again! A strange queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could not say why or what it was from. But as she stood at the kitchen counter shucking the corn, Candy felt something so strong that it made her stop and sit down. Her heart was racing, her stomach was all in knots. She had no idea why. Grandpa came in concerned for his granddaughter and asked:

"what is the matter Poppit?"

"I don't know. All of a sudden, my heart was racing, my stomach is all in knots and I can't think or do anything just sit?" said Candy. Grandpa Pruitt looked at his granddaughter. She was not one to get sick or feel sick easily. But he was worried, she also looked pale.

"Let me get your mother and we will get the doctor as well." He left the room and soon her mother came in. She saw that Candy was pale and cold. She asked Grandpa to get her upstairs to bed. She then sent Molly and Christopher to get the doctor right away.

"Candy, darling, what is the matter." Her mother asked. Candy tried to say something, but she couldn't. It felt as if there was something restricting her throat.

"M-m-m-mother, i-i-I am scared!" Candy ended in barely a whisper. Her throat felt tight, was she having an allergic reaction? She never was allergic to anything?

"Oh, my baby girl!" Her mother said, as she held her daughter close to her. Molly came in and showed the doctor where her sister's room was. He shooed everyone out except her mother.

"Mrs. Pruitt, is there someone in your family that she is close to that is having a problem with their breathing? Like an aunt or uncle who might be sick?" asked the doctor.

"No, I have not heard of anyone in the family. There are very few of us anymore. My husband passed away in the battle of Gettysburg. But Grandpa Pruitt is all that is left alive, and my sister and brother have all passed away a long time ago. I am the last in my family. The doctor looked in her throat, there was no physical evidence of anything stuck in her throat nor was there any swelling either.

"Well, as far as I could see there seems to be nothing wrong. But, just in case give her some of this tonic, cold twice a day for a week. That should help." Then he looked at Candy and said:
"Miss Pruitt, I see nothing physically wrong, but there is a saying that comes to mind and that is: 'someone walking over your grave!' not sure if that is an old wife's tale or not but you could be very sensitive to someone that may be having problems. A prayer might be good. If you want, I can have the Reverend Coswell come over and pray with you?"

"Thank you!" was all she could say in a whisper. So, the doctor left and sent a message to the reverend to come and visit with her.

The Reverend was from New England and had been a preacher since he was 21. He had a brother who had gone west and to the territories a few years back after he had graduated from Harvard as a lawyer. He had not heard from him for many years, but he had just received a letter stating that his brother was dead and asking what to do with his effects. Since the Reverend was not married, he decided to head west as well. He had always dreamed of being a traveling preacher so. He was just packing; he had turned in his resignation and was going to leave on the next train. The message stated that miss Pruitt needed his help. So, he gathered his Bible and went to the Pruitt's house.

"Thank you for coming so quickly Reverend!" said Grandpa Pruitt. Candy's mother was still upstairs with Candy. He took the Reverend upstairs. Molly and Christopher were downstairs. They were scared that their sister was going to die. Why else call a Reverend?

"What can we do Molly?" Christopher asked.

"I don't know?" said Molly. The children were visibly worried, when Grandpa came back downstairs, he noticed and decided that he would take them out for a walk and a talk.

"Get your coats children, we are taking a walk!" Said Grandpa Pruitt.

"Grandpa is Candy dying?" asked Christopher, as Molly kicked his shin, "Oh!" he looked at his sister with a look that could kill.

"Why do you say that, Christopher?" said Grandpa ignoring Molly's behavior.

"Because no one calls a preacher unless someone is dying!" said Christopher. Molly looked up at her grandfather and waited for his answer.

"Well, I suppose that is true for some but not for everyone. Let's go for a walk and I will tell you a story." He said as he opened the door, and they all went out.

Candy lay on her bed, she had taken the tonic, and her mother had made a sweet tea with ginger and honey to sooth the throat. Even though the doctor had suggest something cold, the sweet tea with the honey helped.

"Good Afternoon Reverend, Thank you for coming. On such short notice, I do know that you are planning to leave but I thought maybe you could help Candy a little."

"You are welcome, So, what has happened?" He looked at Candy, but she could barely talk.

"She was in the kitchen and shucking the corn for supper tonight when all of a sudden she couldn't breathe, her throat seemed to be swollen and yet the doctor did not find anything physical, so he thought maybe something spiritual?" said her mother. Candy looked at the doctor with sad eyes and whispered:

"I don't want to die? I don't feel like I am going to die!" She started to cough. The tonic was helping to bring up some mucous that had settled inside her.

"That is okay, Candy, I don't think you will die, but I do think that she must have felt someone who is near and dear to you get hurt. Do you know of anyone to whom this could have happened?"

Candy searched her mind, then she remembered Simon, she looked up at the Reverend and said:

"Simon Weston, but he is fighting in the union army?" she said with her customary whisper that turned into a cough.

The Reverend thought about it a moment and said:

"That could be it. Were you in love with him?" Candy looked at the Reverend, you don't lie to a preacher, and she had not told her mother either, although her mother probably guessed.

"Well, yes, but I said no to him courting me while he was in the army! But what has that got to do with my problem today?" she asked and then she suddenly realized that maybe something had happened to him! The Reverend looked at her and said:

"Well, I don't think you will die, I do think that maybe you are a little extra sensitive to people you love. If you are in love with him, then maybe you should try to find out about his whereabouts. I can find that out and post a letter on my way out west for you. Then you will know for sure." The Reverend said. Candy looked happy. She was worried secretly about Simon and wanted to know if he was okay, but since they had decided not to correspond, she had been kind of overly anxious especially since she heard the stories of men being shot, hanged, or deserting. Not that Simon would desert, he wasn't that kind.

"She will be fine Mrs. Pruitt," The Reverend told her as he left the house. Candy was fine, by the next day, she was back up and her usual self. A couple of weeks later, she received news of Simon. It was not good news though; he had been caught and hung by the South. He was never to see her again. She was sad and went to sit under the tree at the back of the house and cried silent tears so no one would know. She had loved Simon, with all of her heart. She did not think she would ever find another like him again.